Unions, Associations and Twenty-First Century Professionals

Unions that represent professional and technical workers are at a critical juncture in their evolution. On the one hand, there is tremendous opportunity; disproportionate employment growth can be expected for professional and technical occupations in health care, education, science and technology, performing arts, media and communication. On the other hand, there are clear challenges. Professional labor markets and the contemporary workplace are being reconfigured by neoliberal economic policies, technological change, and the spread of contingent employment arrangements. Twenty-first century professional workers will respond positively to unions only if they see organizations that are agile enough to adapt to the workers ’ own shifting concerns. Market demand for professional and technical workers is growing steadily. In the U.S., employment is expected to grow faster in professional and related occupations than in other major occupational groups. The U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 16.7 % increase in professional and technical employment for the ten year period between 2006 and 2016. This is well above the anticipated increase in total U.S. employment of 10.4 % over the same period (Monthly Labor Review, 2007). Whit